Charlie Manuel wants to inspire. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
There were many titles the Philadelphia Phillies could have chosen for their 2012 video yearbook.
“At Least We Finished .500”
“This Time, We’re Sellers”
“Your Guide To Major League Baseball’s Disabled List”
“Too Much Ty Wigginton”
“Making Mediocrity Look Good”
However, the Phillies decided against any of those suggestions and, in releasing the trailer for their 2012 highlights video, also released the much-anticipated title of this feature film.
“No Surrender”
And, as you watch the trailer for “No Surrender,” you almost think you’re watching a team that won its sixth straight NL East title.
Look everybody! Highlights! Celebrations! Star players! Baseball plays! Hits! Sliding! Guys getting tagged out! Erik Kratz!!!
Interestingly, there was no sign of Michael Martinez or Laynce Nix in this trailer, which seems odd given their many contributions to the ballclub. Someone better get back inside the editing bay and fix this oversight.
In past years, players like Brad Lidge and Jimmy Rollins have narrated the Phils’ highlights yearbook, lending a little bit of star power to the proceedings.
This year, we get Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen.
Was Juan Pierre not available, people?
Listen, every team puts together a video yearbook. Even the Pirates, who haven’t had a winning season since the second Reagan administration, puts together a highlights video every year, despite their being little to any actual “highlights” from which to choose.
Sure, there was that Jim Thome game last year and… um… a bunch of Chad Qualls games… oh wait, that’s not… and… um… I think… Carlos Ruiz?… hang on… Jimmy Rollins hustle… dang it!…
The Phillies did win 81 games last year and did make a late-season push for a wild card spot, pulling to within three games of that second wild card at one point.
No, they didn’t surrender. That’s damn right.
Except for that time at the trade deadline when they rightfully surrendered. Other than that, there was no surrender.
The beauty of “No Surrender” is how amazingly easy the film brainwashes you into thinking that maybe 2012 wasn’t so bad after all.
I mean, we did have half a season of Thome, a sprinkling of John Mayberry Jr., and Ryan Howard doing baseball things, right?
And if you weren’t preparing to get your glove out of storage and take the field after listening to Charlie Manuel’s Knute Rockne-like speech before the season, there’s something wrong with the chemical composition of your brain.
“No Surrender,” while it will surely be depressing to watch, is a reminder that, even though the Phils’ off-season hasn’t been anything to write home about, the 2013 season is just around the corner. And if everything breaks right, the Phillies could still challenge for a wild card spot in the National League this year.
And yes, I’m very susceptible to propaganda.
Maybe Delmon Young isn’t so bad after all…